Scan barcode
cinnachick's review against another edition
4.0
This was an amazing read that I'm grateful to have had the chance to read it. I wish the post-Civil War history was as thorough as the history at the beginning of the book. But I learned a great deal and have a better understanding of how this city became what it is now.
allyriadayne's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most interesting books I've read this year! What a wonderful insight into New Orleans' influences, especially concerning the culture and music in the way it resembles the caribbean culture. and it isn't only about music and french language but also about slavery and a self awareness the author has about his own culture regarding the subject that made me appreciate it much more. Definetely a book I would recommend to anyone looking to know more about the city's mixed cultural background.
alexctelander's review against another edition
4.0
Ned Sublette, author of Cuba and Its Music, embarks on a daring undertaking in a detailed and complete history of the Big Easy. Sublette spent the 2004-2005 year in New Orleans, leaving just three months before Hurricane Katrina hit and the levees broke, changing the city forever; making this book all the more meaningful and emotional.
With extensive research, Sublette starts at the very beginning, explaining the topography and geology of the Mississippi River and the substantial yet flooded Mississippi Delta, and how there was simply nothing that could really be built there before the advent of water pumps created the potential for draining of the area. In a time when the land that would one day be Louisiana was being fought over and used by the Spanish, French, and British, while every piece of natural resource in this part of the world was being used for the benefit of the Western World, coupled with the unceasing influx of slaves, a group of settlers began a town that would one day become the great city of New Orleans. Inhabitants included an influx of forced citizens from France consisting of prostitutes and convicts.
From its genesis, New Orleans was composed of an entire world of nationalities, cultures, faiths, and languages. Like the spine of the book, Sublette uses music as the backbone of The World That Made New Orleans, discussing the influences and developments of these different people, many of them slaves. It is a city that, after the catastrophic events of Hurricane Katrina, will never be the same – like New York missing the World Trade Center skyline. Thankfully, Sublette does an incredible job of revealing the many chapters in the history of New Orleans.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
With extensive research, Sublette starts at the very beginning, explaining the topography and geology of the Mississippi River and the substantial yet flooded Mississippi Delta, and how there was simply nothing that could really be built there before the advent of water pumps created the potential for draining of the area. In a time when the land that would one day be Louisiana was being fought over and used by the Spanish, French, and British, while every piece of natural resource in this part of the world was being used for the benefit of the Western World, coupled with the unceasing influx of slaves, a group of settlers began a town that would one day become the great city of New Orleans. Inhabitants included an influx of forced citizens from France consisting of prostitutes and convicts.
From its genesis, New Orleans was composed of an entire world of nationalities, cultures, faiths, and languages. Like the spine of the book, Sublette uses music as the backbone of The World That Made New Orleans, discussing the influences and developments of these different people, many of them slaves. It is a city that, after the catastrophic events of Hurricane Katrina, will never be the same – like New York missing the World Trade Center skyline. Thankfully, Sublette does an incredible job of revealing the many chapters in the history of New Orleans.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
trogdor19's review against another edition
4.0
This is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary peek at the world that created the current reality of New Orleans, socially, historically, politically, architecturally, linguistically, etc.
At the beginning, it is a little tough to follow, because the author is swooping around through the world at large, looking at all the imperial powers and colonies that influenced New Orleans. Once he settles into NOLA itself, it is a little easier to follow, but it's all important, so hang in there! Especially in the chapters dealing with the history of music, this book can seem tangential and too detail-oriented. That's a big topic that probably warranted its own book, and it can be difficult to digest for non-specialists, even though it is SO VITAL to understanding New Orleans.
Overall, though, I found this book fascinating because the author shares my deep love of the unique city and people of New Orleans, and he shows it by chasing down the historical basis of a lot of the oddities that make that place different from anywhere else. Most of the writing is strong, clear and engaging, and it's worth sticking it out through the few places where it gets hard to follow because New Orleans is like no other place, so of course a history book about it will be totally unique as well and maybe a little quirky.
At the beginning, it is a little tough to follow, because the author is swooping around through the world at large, looking at all the imperial powers and colonies that influenced New Orleans. Once he settles into NOLA itself, it is a little easier to follow, but it's all important, so hang in there! Especially in the chapters dealing with the history of music, this book can seem tangential and too detail-oriented. That's a big topic that probably warranted its own book, and it can be difficult to digest for non-specialists, even though it is SO VITAL to understanding New Orleans.
Overall, though, I found this book fascinating because the author shares my deep love of the unique city and people of New Orleans, and he shows it by chasing down the historical basis of a lot of the oddities that make that place different from anywhere else. Most of the writing is strong, clear and engaging, and it's worth sticking it out through the few places where it gets hard to follow because New Orleans is like no other place, so of course a history book about it will be totally unique as well and maybe a little quirky.
ramseyhootman's review against another edition
3.0
I started reading this book as a prep for a (very short) trip I was taking to New Orleans for a wedding. I had never been in the southern US before and knew next to nothing about the city except for its Mardi Gras celebration. My trip was in May, and it's taken me until the end of August to work my way to the end of this book! It's extremely dense, both in the writing style and the sheer volume of information packed in these pages. I spent a lot of time reading one page and then turning to my husband to tell him about whatever astonishing fact I had just learned. You think you "know" about slavery - but Sublette digs into the details of the social and economic context and you realize there's all sorts of horrors that never even occurred to you. He doesn't often draw lines between these historical facts to the present, but he doesn't need to - it's very obvious. I think I learned as much about the current political and social climate in the US from this book as I did about the history of New Orleans.
I probably should have paid a little more attention to the time period that would be covered in this book, because I didn't realize that it ends at the year 1812, when Louisiana attained statehood. Sublette filters most of the history of the city through two lenses: slavery and music. He also often goes very wide, geographically, spending entire chapters detailing events in Europe, Cuba, and Haiti which affect various populations coming in to New Orleans. I appreciated that the focus of this book was not on "European settlers" with only a few passing mentions of "their slaves." In fact most of this book is (very appropriately) about the huge variety of black citizens of New Orleans.
I thought the book lost clarity toward the end, and it actually took me longer to read the last quarter of the book as it did the first three quarters. The "coda" at the end that discussed the modern day Mardi Gras Indians was absolutely fascinating, but it really felt like Sublette was more excited to write that than the rest of the book - had it been written with as much enthusiasm, I think it would have made the book much easier to read!
Overall, a very informative, enlightening read, and it definitely gave me a much better appreciation for the place I was visiting.
I probably should have paid a little more attention to the time period that would be covered in this book, because I didn't realize that it ends at the year 1812, when Louisiana attained statehood. Sublette filters most of the history of the city through two lenses: slavery and music. He also often goes very wide, geographically, spending entire chapters detailing events in Europe, Cuba, and Haiti which affect various populations coming in to New Orleans. I appreciated that the focus of this book was not on "European settlers" with only a few passing mentions of "their slaves." In fact most of this book is (very appropriately) about the huge variety of black citizens of New Orleans.
I thought the book lost clarity toward the end, and it actually took me longer to read the last quarter of the book as it did the first three quarters. The "coda" at the end that discussed the modern day Mardi Gras Indians was absolutely fascinating, but it really felt like Sublette was more excited to write that than the rest of the book - had it been written with as much enthusiasm, I think it would have made the book much easier to read!
Overall, a very informative, enlightening read, and it definitely gave me a much better appreciation for the place I was visiting.
evavroslin's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books, if not THE best book, I've read on the subject of the history of New Orleans. This is one of the most comprehensive, interesting, endlessly fascinating, absorbing histories of New Orleans that I've ever read, and I took in all in like a sponge, each chapter making me eager for more. Most of the book focuses on the formation of Louisiana and the history of how it came to be colonized by the French and the Spanish as well as the difficulties that arose from that. He devotes a lot of attention to the ties between New Orleans and Havana, Cuba, which were more than I previously thought. There's an extensive discussion of slavery, particularly as compared to the other American states, especially North Carolina and Virginia which were colonized by the British, to show a stark contrast in the treatment of slaves.
In the last chapter, there is some discussion of Hurricane Katrina that focuses on "one year later" and some of the aftermath as well as the political ramifications, I believe his other book "The Year Before the Flood" would discuss his experiences of modern New Orleans (he had a research opportunity at Tulane University that ended exactly 3 months prior to Hurricane Katrina), but he affirms just how culturally significant New Orleans has been to America. It's an essential read for anyone who wants more information on the history of New Orleans, how the city came to be, the colonizing powers in Europe that were always battling for control over it, and ultimately any history buff will find this to be an engrossing page-turner, particularly with the author's engaging, non-stuffy, and thus accessible literary style. Highly recommended.
In the last chapter, there is some discussion of Hurricane Katrina that focuses on "one year later" and some of the aftermath as well as the political ramifications, I believe his other book "The Year Before the Flood" would discuss his experiences of modern New Orleans (he had a research opportunity at Tulane University that ended exactly 3 months prior to Hurricane Katrina), but he affirms just how culturally significant New Orleans has been to America. It's an essential read for anyone who wants more information on the history of New Orleans, how the city came to be, the colonizing powers in Europe that were always battling for control over it, and ultimately any history buff will find this to be an engrossing page-turner, particularly with the author's engaging, non-stuffy, and thus accessible literary style. Highly recommended.
lirazel's review against another edition
4.0
This book was chock full of stuff I'm interested in, so I mostly loved it. I do wish the writing had felt a little less all over the place--the subject matter has got to jump around given the many influences on early New Orleans culture, but I feel like there were ways to transition between them with a little less whiplash.
thatcasualdragon's review
3.0
The information in this book is both good and well-written. It is, however, rather disjointed in its presentation. I'm still not sure if this is a book about music or slave history (the title didn't really make me think of either, although both are obviously connected to each other and New Orleans history in general). At any rate, it makes me want to read more about the topics and time period, so I suppose that's a good thing.
atticmoth's review
5.0
Really comprehensive, really nuanced and readable and well written. Only problem was the scope? I wasn't sure why it cut off when it did but the last chapter about post Katrina NOLA was so good I wish that the whole Bokk was longer. I'd read anything this dude writes honestly so like it's telling that my only complaint was I wish there was MORE
sdbecque's review
4.0
Ok, don't get me wrong. In many places this book is very dry. Mainly it focuses on the colonial history of New Orleans, which is to say he spends a lot of time detailing movements by the French and Spanish royalty. Still New Orleans has a pretty crazy history and it makes for pretty entertaining reading.
It started really dry and then it really picked up, certain parts of this are more engaging than others. Especially noteworthy are the frank passages on slavery. Sublette talks frankly about aspects of slavery that are routinely downplayed in American historical discussions. Moreover, his discussion of the reluctance of historians to acknowledge the probability of the Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings relations.
"New Orleans was a dissolute town from the beginning. The crooks and whores were unsuited by experience and temperament for artisanship or agriculture, but were well prepared to establish a culture of criminality and poverty.
"[The Indians after Katrina] As they tried to rebuild their lives and their community, they sewed their suits in the dark, empty city. You don't go to those lengths for folklore. This was a sacramental act. These were men who had fought all their lives against the amnesia that is slavery's legacy...They played tambourines and sang as they moved through the empty, twisted ghost town of the Lower Ninth Ward, where six months after the disaster the people were still gone and houses sat on top of upside down cars. They refused to cooperate in their own erasure. They were still men, and these were still their streets. They wouldn't bow down. They rocked the city with their Congo dances."
This book is good, very good. Highly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to New Orleans.
Here's the order you should do it in: Read this book. Watch the first season of Treme, go to New Orleans.
It started really dry and then it really picked up, certain parts of this are more engaging than others. Especially noteworthy are the frank passages on slavery. Sublette talks frankly about aspects of slavery that are routinely downplayed in American historical discussions. Moreover, his discussion of the reluctance of historians to acknowledge the probability of the Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings relations.
"New Orleans was a dissolute town from the beginning. The crooks and whores were unsuited by experience and temperament for artisanship or agriculture, but were well prepared to establish a culture of criminality and poverty.
"[The Indians after Katrina] As they tried to rebuild their lives and their community, they sewed their suits in the dark, empty city. You don't go to those lengths for folklore. This was a sacramental act. These were men who had fought all their lives against the amnesia that is slavery's legacy...They played tambourines and sang as they moved through the empty, twisted ghost town of the Lower Ninth Ward, where six months after the disaster the people were still gone and houses sat on top of upside down cars. They refused to cooperate in their own erasure. They were still men, and these were still their streets. They wouldn't bow down. They rocked the city with their Congo dances."
This book is good, very good. Highly recommend it to anyone planning a trip to New Orleans.
Here's the order you should do it in: Read this book. Watch the first season of Treme, go to New Orleans.